Sunday 8^TH July 2018 sees the Isle of Man enlivened by the eigth edition of the Island's premier sportive, the Isle of Man Lighthouses Challenge’ powered by Microgaming Isle of Man.

The event is brought to you by SAS Events who played a major role in delivering a spectacular HSBC National Road Championships in 2017.

This is a classic coastal ride circumnavigating the Isle of Man taking in the Island’s lighthouses (where possible!).

The Full Circle Route covers over 100 miles and is not for the faint hearted  .

On a good day you will be able to see Ireland, Scotland, England & Wales as you circumnavigate the Island.

430 participants entered in 2017 and the event continued to receive plenty of very complimentary feedback with some commenting that it was their "most enjoyable day ever" on their bike and that it was "fantastic value for money!"

The Isle of Man is a beautiful place to ride a bike, on or off road, and combined with fantastic ambassadors such as Mark Cavendish, Pete Kennaugh, Mark & Anna Christian the level of interest in Manx cycling has never been higher.

The event is now an eagerly awaited permanent fixture on the Isle of Man's sporting calendar. 

The Lighthouses Challenge offers three course distances, 103, 57 & 28 miles. 

NEW FOR 2018: We have relocated the start/finish to the heart of Douglas on the scenic and historic Douglas Harbour. The HQ will be the spectacular new Bikestyle premises at the Old Market Hall.

The Full Circle Route takes a clockwise route of the Island taking in over 100 miles and 2700 metres of climbing.

Heading south to the southern most tip of the Island the intial stretch is classic spectacular coastal road along Marine Drive which is closed to traffic.The Southern classic climbs to Cregneash and the Sloc are covered on the way to the second feed zone at St Johns.

Heading to Peel and the Poit of Ayre participants can then recover over the northern plains before tackling the shorter but steeper climbs along the north east coast back into Douglas.

There are three well stocked feed stations en route to enjoy at your leisure located at Port Erin, St Johns and Ramsey.

All courses will have the same start and finish on Douglas harbourside and follow the main route south to the feed station at Port Erin.

The Semi Circle route continues to follow the main course to the second feed station at St Johns and returns to Douglas via Archallagan, Braddan and Abbeylands.

Covering the shortest distance of 28 miles the Quarter Circle Route takes the journey south and the hard riding ends at the Port Erin feed zone.This option is suitable for families with children who enjoy leisure cycling.

The short route finishes at Port Erin with transport back to Douglas on the Victorian Steam Railway where riders disembark and make their way along the quayside to the finish area. What a unique way to end a great day out! The entry fee for the short route includes the fare for the train ride.

Both shorter routes should not be underestimated as each holds a challenge or two along the journey! indeed the Semi Circle Route has the steepest climb of the day just after the feed zone at St Johns.

All routes finish on Douglas Harboursdie where riders can sit in the sun at the various eateries, cafes or pubs and enjoy watching their fellow riders finish their personal challenge.

All entrants will receive an event ‘goody bag' which will include a souvenir T shirt and some snacks.’.

Refreshments will be available at the feed stations along the route. The feed stations are legendary and synonymous with this event! Some participants are rumoured to be returning just to visit the feed zones again!

Timing is all electronic using state of the art equipment which records your passage around ‘The Rock’ and provides detailed splits for each sector of the route.

All courses are supported by motorcycle ‘service course’ and ‘broom wagons’….just in case!

Free massage at finish HQ, where you can also change (although the facilities are not ‘private’ there are ‘quiet’ areas).

Enter at www.sasevents.im or via British Cycling.

Our loyal sponsors Microgaming continue to heavily support Isle of Man sport and many of their staff are enthusiastic cyclists who take part in the Challenge or give their time to act as Stewards. We’re delighted with their commitment and continued involvement with this event.

The event will continue to support the Isle of Man Cycling Team to travel off Island to compete.

The promotion also supports local charities. The 2017 event benefitted the Isle of Man Childrens centre to the tune of £250. Over the last five years the event has contributed over £6800 to local charities and the IOM Cycling Association.

You can rest assured that you will receive a warm and friendly welcome on the Isle of Man and you can look forward to some great 'banter' on your journey around 'the rock'. 

For more information visit www.sasevents.im and click on the event page. Here you acn find all the details you will need and links to our travel and accomodation partners.

There are some great photos of previous events there too and hundreds more photos on the Facebook page.

Info for Riders

Entry fee includes: > Electronic Timing > 3 Feed zones > Goody bag > Fully signposted route. > 3 'broom wagons' > 3 Motorcycle 'service course' Victorian train return to Douglas SHORT ROUTE ONLY

View Britain as you have never seen it before, from the middle of the Irish Sea!

For travel packages visit our event partners:

Isle of Man Event Services Ltd  http://www.iomevents.com

Isle of Man Steam Packet Company Ltd   https://www.steam-packet.com